Music-leaf turner.



E. OLSON. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJI. 3913- 1,139,438. Patented May 11, 1915.

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E. OLSON.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. H, 1913. 1,139,438. Patented May 11, 1915.

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ELIAS OLSON, 0F JEWELL JUNCTION, IOWA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed August 11, 1913. Serial No. 784,409.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAs OLSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jewell Junction, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Music-Leaf Turner, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a music leaf turner of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More particularly, it is my object to provide an attachment for musical instruments, such as pianos and the like, designed to hold the leaves of a music book in proper position for use and so constructed and arranged as to make is possible for the player to turn the leaves, one at a time, as desired, without touching them with the hands.

More particularly, it is my object to provide a music leaf holder, having parts for holding a music book in proper position for a player, and other parts arranged to grip and hold the leaves, and having mechanism for operating the leaf holding mechanism for turning the leaves, one at a time, as may be desired.

Still a further object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned, so constructed and arranged that it may be used as an attachment for a piano, organ or the like and operated by the musicians knees for turning the leaves one at a time and for returning all the leaves to their original position after a piece of music has been played through.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a piano, equipped with a music leaf turner, embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a itop or plan'view of the music leaf turner.

Fig. 3 shows a vertical, sectional view through the casing which inclosed the mech anism of my improved device, and Fig. 4 shows a horizontal, sectional view through i Q same.

' music leaf turner. The box 10 is provided with a horizontal partition 11, spaced apart from its top and with a removable cover 12 which may be detachably secured to the boX 10 in any suitable way. Secured to the rear wall of the box 10 is a bracket comprising a vertical portion 13 and forwardly extending horizontal portions 14 and 15 at its upper and lower ends respectively. In the members 14 and 15 are a plurality of openings 16. The openings in each member are arranged in a row from front to rear and the openings in the member 14 preferably register with corresponding openings in the member 15.

Pivotally mounted in the openings 16 in the members 15 and 14 are a plurality of resilient wires indicated generally by the reference character A in Fig. 3. Between the members 14 and 15, the wires A form U shaped portions 17 lying in vertical planes with their open portions facing the rear wall of the box'lO. The U shaped portion 17 of the wire A, which is mounted in the forward pair of openings 16, is wider from side to side and longer from its open to its closed end than the next adjacent U shaped portion 17 and the said U shaped portions are graded in size from the forward down to the rearward one, as clearly shown in. Fig. 3. Stops 18 are provided with their upper ends resting adjacent to the side edges of the portion 13, near the middle thereof and extending downwardly and for wardly therefrom and also toward the ends of the box 10, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The stops 18 are designed to engage said U shaped portions 17 for limiting the swinging movement of the resilient wires A. Above the member. 14 the wires A are bent to form horizontal portions 18*. The wires are bent at such points that the horizontal portion 18 of the forward resilient wire A moves in a horizontal plane slightly below the level of the plane of the horizontal portion 18 of the next rearward wire A. The portion 18* of the third rearward wire A rests in a slightly higher horizontal plane, etc., as shown in Fig. 3. The outer ends of the portions 18 are bent upwardly, formin vertical portions 19. The portion 19 of the upper portion 18 is shorter than the portion 19 of the next lower portion 18, etc., from the upper to the lowermost portion 18*, so that in swinging from side to side, the portions 19 clear each other. Secured to the portions 19 are resilient wire clips 20 for.

gripping and holding a sheet of music against the adjacent portion 19. Near the rear wall of the box 10 adjacent to each end thereof, is a casing 21. Extending longitudinally through each casing 21 is a wire 22 slidably mounted in the end walls of said casing 21 and extending beyond the end walls of the box 10, as shown in Fig. 3.

Formed on the inner ends of the wire 22 are substantially U shaped portions 23, the open ends of which are adjacent to the rear wall of the box 10. Formed on the U shaped portion 23 of each wire 22, on the side farthest from the casing 21 in which said wire is slidably mounted, is a hook member 21. The wire 22 extends beyond the hook member 24 forming a curved portion 25, the free end of which is bent outwardly toward the front and end walls of the box 10. The wires 22 are formed of resilient metal and are designed to normally rest in such position that when they are moved longitudinally the hook member 2% will engage each of the U shaped portions 17 in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

In the front wall of the box 10, near the upper edge thereof, is a longitudinal slot 26 to permit free movement of the portions 18 The box 10 is provided with a cover 12 already mentioned. End notches 27 are cut in the forward edge of the cover 12 to permit the entrance of the upright members 19 and the clips 20. Extending upwardly from the middle of the cover 12 near the forward edge thereof, is a support or standard 28. Secured to the lower end of the standard 28 and extending upward, parallel therewith, is a resilient wire 29 designed to be detachably secured adjacent to the up per end of the standard 28 by means of the pivoted catch device 30. Secured to the cover 12 near the forward edge thereof, at each end, is an upright member 30 The upright members 30 are connected at their forward ends by a horizontal member 31 which is secured at its middle to the standard 28. The member 31 serves as a support for a music book or the like. For supporting the members 30 and 31 I provide braces 32.

Mounted on the cover 12 are a plurality of supporting devices 33 of varied sizes, hav ing substantially the form of a half circle extending forwardly from the box 10, as shown in Fig. 2, and designed to support the leaves of a music book. The outermost and largest support 33 is bent slightly downwardly at 34 adjacent to each of the members 30 to receive the lower edges of the leaves of a music book.

Connected with each of the wires 22, outside of the box 10, is a flexible device 35, which passes over pulleys 36 and 37 at the vend ofthe piano or organ 38 and is secured to a device 39 slidably mounted beneath the keyboard of the instrument in convenient position to be operated by the knees of the musician.

In the practical operation of my improved music leaf turner, the central portion of the music book 4L0 is secured in upright position between the members 28 and 29, as shown in Fig. 1. The leaves of the book are then secured between the members 19 and 20 with the first leaf secured by the outermost members l9 and 20, the second leaf secured by the next outermost members 19 and 20, etc. \Vhen the first sheet of music has been played, the operator may, by pressing the knee against the sliding device 39, connected with the left hand wire 22, draw said wire 22 outwardly, thereby causing the hook member 2% to engage the largest of the U shaped portions 17 and swing it from its right hand limit of movement toward its left hand limit of movement, thereby swinging the outermost members 19 and 20 around and turning the first sheet of music. For normally holding each of the wires at the inward limit of their movement, I have mounted in the box casing 21 and secured to the wires 22 a coil spring 42. The spring 42 returns the hook member 24 to its original and normal position. The form of the portion 25 is such that the free end of the wire 22 is not caught in any of the parts but readily returns to its normal position. lVhen the musician is ready to turn a second page, the resiliency of the portion 23 is such that the hook member 2-1 engages the second largest portion 17 when the proper member 39 is again moved and the second sheet of music is turned. Then all the sheets have been turned, the other member 39 may be moved and the other hook member 24 will engage the outermost U shaped portion 17. Owing to the fact that the said outermost portion 17 is connected with the outermost members 19 and 20 which grip the first leaf, one movement will return all the leaves to their original starting position.

The advantage of my improved music leaf turner may be seen from the foregoing description.

W hen my device is used, it is unnecessary to take the hands from the instrument for turning the sheets of music. There is no possibility that the sheets will become stuck and cause an interruption in the performance'.

It will be understood that some changes may be made in the details of the construc tion of my device and it is my intention to cover by this application any changes which may be included within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a music leaf turner, a support, a plurality of wires rotatably mounted therein,

said wires being in a series from front to rear, each wire having parts in vertical alinement, and having U-shaped rearwardly opening portions formed between said alined portions, said U-shaped portions being graded in size to clear each other, said wires having horizontal portions formed on the upper alined part of each, upright members on the outer ends of said horizontal portions, a resilient wire mounted to reciprocate past said U-shaped portions, having a catch device thereon adapted to engage the outermost U- shaped portion when said reciprocating member is moved in one direction, said reciprocating member having outwardly 15 E. W. KNU'DSON, CARL P. MILLER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0!. Patents, Washington, D. G. 

